Closure member and dispensing device

ABSTRACT

A closure member, for use with a flexible, resilient, container. The closure member provides an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice to the container and an expansible chamber for containing displacement fluid. The outlet orifice is constructed to communicate directly with the interior of the container, to permit outflow of material when the container is squeezed, and to prevent inflow of displacement fluid. The inlet orifice is constructed to communicate with the expansible chamber, to permit inflow of displacement fluid to the expansible chamber when the container wall returns to original shape after being squeezed, and to prevent outflow of displacement fluid. A flexible bladder, initially collapsed, forms the expansible chamber. The closure member includes structure to which the bladder is attached and which contains the initially collapsed bladder, and structure that inhibits the bladder from sealing off the outlet orifice from the contents of the container. The structure that contains the initially collapsed bladder can be elongated to limit the extent to which the container can be flexed.

UnitedStates Patent Mueller ns1 3,656,660 1451 Apr. 18, i972 [72]inventor:

[73] Assignee:

John J. Mueller, Richmond Heights, Ohio AirJect Corporation, RichmondHeights, Ohio [22] Filed; Nov. 17,1969

[21] AppLNo.; 877,138

(52] U.s. c1. zzz/94, A222/212 Primary Examiner--ll/l. Henson Wood, Jr.Assistant Examinerf-Edwin D. Grant Attorney-Watts, Hoffmann, Fisher &Heinke [57] ABSTRACT A closure member, for use with a flexible,resilient, container. The closure member provides an inlet orifice andan outlet orifice to the container and an expansible chamber forcontaining displacement fluid. The outlet orifice is constructed tocommunicate directly with the interior of the container, to permitoutflow of material when the container is squeezed, and to preventinflow of displacement fluid. The inlet orifice is constructed tocommunicate with the expansible chamber, to permit inflow ofdisplacement fluid to the expansible chamber when the container wallreturns to original shape after being squeezed, and to prevent outflowof displacement fluid. A flexible bladder, initially collapsed, formsthe expansible chamber. The closure member includes structure to whichthe bladder is attached and which contains the initially collapsedbladder, and structure that inhibits the bladder from sealing off theoutlet orifice from the contents of the container. The structure thatcontains the initially collapsed bladder can be elongated to limit theextent to which the container can be flexed.

l0 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 18 ma -sHEUlnFZ INVENTOR. JOHNJ, MUELLEP QTTOIZNEYS PATNTEDAPR 18 |972 CET 2 F 2 Fig. 4

lNvENToRQ JOHN J, MUELLEE .FY QM/, Q4 {mn/fw,

ATTOENEY.

CLOSURE MEMBER AND DISPENSING DEVICE This invention relates to a closuremember that converts a flexible, resilient, container into asqueeze-type dispenser, and to a combination ofthe closure member andcontainer.

The closure member is constructed to be secured to and close an openingof' a flexible container, and includes an outlet orifice through whichmaterial from the container is dispensed and an inlet orifice throughwhich displacement fluid is admitted to the container. The closuremember further includes structure insertable into the container when theclosure member is secured thereto, which defines an expansible chamberfor receiving and containing displacementl fluid that enters thecontainer after material is dispensed. The container itself, with whichthe closure member is used, directly contains the material to bedispensed. The outlet orifice of the closure member is constructed andarranged to communicate directly with the interior of the container, topermit outflow of material when thecontainer is squeezed, and to preventinflow of displacement fluid. The inlet orifice is constructed tocommunicate with the expansible chamber, to permit inflow ofdisplacement fluid to the chamber when the flexible, resilient, wall ofthe container returns to shape after being squeezed, and to preventoutflow of displacement fluid during squeezing of the container. As aresult, the container and closure member form a dispenser of theconstant volume type, which is divided into two separate zones, one forthe material being dispensed and one for air or other fluid to displacethe dispensed material. The respective volumes of the two zones varyinversely as the outer container, originally full of material to bedispensed, is emptied through use. This device operates in the samemanner as the devices disclosed and claimed in my U.S. Pat. No.3,319,837 issued May I6, 1967 and titled Dispensing Device, andis animprovement which facilitates the filling and assembly of containers andmost importantly provides a closure member that can convert a standardflexible, resilient, container into Va dispenser of the type described.Accordingly, a o combined container and improved cover member embodyingthis invention has, in addition to its own specific advantageousfeatures,l the functionally advantageous features of the devicesdisclosed in the aforementioned patent, including the ability todispense flowable material ranging from liquids to heavy creams orpastes and powders, the

characteristic of isolating the contents from the displacing fluid, thelack of any need for propellants and hence avoidance of internalpressure until the wall is flexed, the efficient utilization of thevolume of the container for material to be dispensed, and thecharacteristic of being, in effect, always full until empty.

A preferred embodiment of this invention utilizes an inner inverted cupor cuplike member beneath a cover part or cap portion of the closuremember that is adapted to attach to a flexible container at the openingthereof. The cap portion is suitably threaded or otherwise constructedto attach to the container across the opening. The cup is secured to thecap and has a conduit that extends upward through the cap and opensexternally of the container. A flexible bladder forms a displacementchamber of variable volume. The bladder is attached to the cup and isinitially collapsed and contained in a compact condition within the cup.As displacement fluid is introduced into the bladder, it expands andextends from the cup into the flexible container. A one-way valve islocated in the conduit to the cup and bladder to permit flow into thevbladder but to prevent outflow. In the preferred embodiment, which isadapted for use with all flowable materials, a discharge orifice throughthe cap includes a one-way valve to permit outflow of material beingdispensed but to prevent inflow of displacement fluid. Where thematerial to be dispensed is limited to highly viscous substances, theorifice alone, in cooperation with the material within the orifice, willserve to prevent inflow of displacement fluid and in such instances itis possible to omit specific valve elements otherwise required for morefluid substances.

The preferred closure member includes a plurality of flexible fingersextending from the member and adapted to be received within thecontainer to which the closure member is attached. These fingersconstrain the upper part of the expansible bladder against expansion toan extent that, or against movement to a location where, the bladderobstructs passage of material about the bladder to the dischargeorifice. For example, the fingers will restrict the bladder to aposition slightly below the outlet orifice of the closure member and, incontainers with a mouth of smaller diameter than the container, to aposition somewhat below a neck portion thereof, and thereby assure thata passageway is maintained about the bladder to the outlet orifice.

An advantageous feature of the present invention is that the dispensermay be constructed to consistently dispense a sub stantially unifonn andpredetennined amount of the contents with each flexing, by limiting themaximum flexure of the container at a predetermined location. This isconveniently accomplished in accordance with the present invention byproviding an elongated tubular member within the container, with an openend that receives the collapsed bladder and that limits inward flexureof the container. Advantageously, the cuplike member that extends fromthe cap of the closure member can be lengthened to provide thisstructure. This elongated cup, which typically will be cylindrical,forms a rigid structure centrally within the flexible container oppositethe portion of the container to be squeezed. By providing a cup oval incross section, two different predetermined volumes can be dispensed,depending upon the location at which the flexible container is squeezed.If squeezed opposite the major cross sectional axis of the oval cup, asmaller volume will be dispensed than when it is squeezed opposite theminor cross sectional axis of the cup. The similar usefulness of othershapes will be apparent.

4Other embodiments of closure structures and bladders are contemplatedto provide particular features and structural variants of the basicelements. For example, for convenience in manufacture, a one-way valvein the discharge orifice of the closure member can be formed integrallywith the cap member. Various ways of attaching the bladder to theclosure member are contemplated to facilitate manufacture and assemblyand particular bladder structures are contemplated that inherentlyinhibit the bladder from blocking flow to the discharge orifice inparticular embodiments.

These'and other features and advantages of this invention and variousembodiments therefore will be better understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description, when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in

which:

FIG. l is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a closure memberembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a dispenser formed of a flexible,resilient, container and the closure member of FIG. l, with thecontainer filled with material to be dispensed;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. l in which thematerial has been substantially dispensed and the space filled with anexpansible bladder;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a closure membersimilar to that shown in FIG. l but constructed to limit the extent towhich a container with which it is used can be squeezed;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a closure member foruse with a flexible resilient tube-type container;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a modified construction of portion of theclosure member of FIG. l;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another modified construction of a similarportion of a closure member to that shown in FIG. 6; and

' FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a modified closure member embodying thepresent invention.

With reference now to the drawings, a closure member 10 embodying thepresent invention is shown in FIG. l, suitable for attachment to aflexible and resilient container, such as a plastic bottle l2, as shownin FIGS. 2 and 3, and provides an inlet orifice 14, an outlet orifice 16and structure 18 forming an expansible chamber for the container. Theclosure member includes a cap portion 20, an inverted cup 2l securedbeneath the cap, and a flexible bladder secured to the cup andcomprising the structure 18 forming the expansible chamber. The cap 20includes a top surface 22 and a peripheral depending flange 23 havinginternal threads 24. A spout 25 extends from a central portion of thetop surface 22 and fonns the outlet or discharge orifice 16. A valveseat 26 is formed at the outer end of the spout and an internal shoulder27 is fonned within the spout for cooperating with a one-way valve 28within the spout. The outer surface of the spout is constructed toreceive an optional outer cover (not shown).

The one-way valve 28 is a relatively small valve and in the i preferredembodiment is preferably molded of plastic so that it will notdeteriorate in use or contaminate the material contained in thedispenser. The construction of the particular valve 28 disclosedprovides rotary as well as axial movement to assure a good seal. Thevalve 28 includes a stem portion 30, a tapered valve head 32 integralwith the stem, and a spring portion 34. The spring portion 34 includesan end cup 35, three helical spring strips 36 and a flat ring 38. Theend cup, spring strips, and ring are integral, with the spring stripsextending between the end cup and ring, about the stem portion 30. Thering encircles the stem and abuts against the internal shoulder 27 inthe spout 25. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the stem is aseparate piece from the spring portion 34 and is pressed into a centralopening in the end cup 35 during assembly and after being inserted intothe central orifice 16 and is held in place by a retaining groove in thestem that provides a snap fit with the cup. Alternatively, the stem andspring portion can be molded of one piece, without the tapered head 32.The top of the stem is then extended through the opening or orifice 16and flared to form the head. The parts of the one-way valve 28 are of asize and the shoulder 27 is located so that the spring portion 34 biasesthe valve head 32 into a seated condition against the valve seat 26under sufficient pressure to provide a seal and to seat the valve in theabsence of a flow of material through the orifice. With the valve 28 ofmolded plastic, the spring strips are inherently flexible and resilient.

A plurality of flexible fingers 40 (eight such fingers being provided inthe preferred embodiment) extend from the inside of the top surface 22of the cap 20, just inwardly of the flange 23 a sufficient distance toclear the mouth, such as the mouth 41, of the container adapted to beclosed by the closure member l0. The fingers extend a sufficientdistance from the top surface of the cap to project into the containeradapted to be used with the cap, e.g., beyond a neck portion 42 of thecontainer 12 and sufficiently far to extend beyond the cup 21 so as toengage and constrain the upper portion of the flexible bladder 18 as itexpands. In this manner, the flexible fingers 40 prevent the bladder 18from expanding upward and from forming a seal between the cup andcontainer, especially about the neck portion of the container or acrossthe orifice 16 ofthe closure member.

Two circular apertures 43, 44 are formed in the top surface 22 of thecap 20, on diametrically opposite sides of the spout 25. These aperturesprovide means for securing the cup to the cap and provide a passagewaythrough the cap to the cup for a flow of displacement fluid to thebladder.

The cup 21 is comprised of a cylindrical cup body 46 having an opening47, and two posts 48, 49 at diametrically opposite portions of the cupbody, extending in a direction opposite from that of the opening 47.Additional posts can be provided for greater stability and strength, butnormally are not required. Each post 48, 49 has a shoulder portion 50,51, respectively, and an upper end 48a, 49a of reduced diameter andequal in diameter to the diameter of the apertures 43, 44. The posts 48,49 are of a length sufficient to locate the cup body 46 spaced below thevalve 28 to provide a passageway around the cup body, between the cupbody and cap, to the orifice 16. The lower position of the cup alsolocates the bladder sufficiently below the discharge orifice. tending toinhibit the bladder from reaching a position where it might seal off theorifice. The post 48 is tubular and includes a valve 54 and valve seat55. The valve and valve seat are constructed to seal the passageway ororifice 14 against outflow of fluid, but to pemtit inflow. The valve 54is biased against the valve seat 55 by a spring 57 and the seat andvalve are constructed so that fluid acting in an outward direction,i.e., tending to escape through the cup body and orifice 14 tends tofurther seat the valve. Thus, the valve 54 acts as a check valve, allowing inward flow but not outward flow.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the bladder 18 is a flexible envelopeor pouch, suitably in the form of a plastic bag or the like. The bladderhas one open end 18a, which is secured about the cup body 46 and sealedthereto in a fluidtight relationship. The open end 18a of the bladder isnarrower than the remainder of the bladder, which typically widensdirectly beneath the cup body to conform in shape and size to thecontainer with which the closure member is adapted to be used. In thismanner, the bladder, when expanded, will substantially fill the flexiblecontainer, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Initially, as illustrated in FIG.2, the bladder 18 is in a collapsed condition and is tucked up into thecup body 46, either neatly accordioned as shown or randomly compressedinto the space provided.

When the closure member 10 is attached to a flexible, resilient,container, such as the container 12 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, which hasexternal threads 63 about the neck portion 42 engageable with thethreads 24, the cap seals the opening 41 and the cup and bladder extendinto the container. Little space is occupied initially by the cup andbladder due to the compact collapsed condition of the bladder. Theclosure member is applied after the container is filled with material Mto be dispensed. When the flexible, resilient, wall of the container 12is squeezed to deflect the wall inwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 3,material M is forced through the discharge orifice 16, the increasedpressure of the material easily opening the one-way valve 28. Uponrelease of pressure upon the container walls, the resiliency of thecontainer returnsthe wall to the original condition. As the wallreturns, expanding the volume of the container, displacement fluid, suchas air, enters through the passageway 14 of the tubular post 48, readilyopening the one-way valve 54. This expands the bladder 18 to anincreased volume within the container l2 equal to the volume of' thematerial dispensed. When the container is subsequently squeezed todischarge additional material, the displacement fluid within the bladderis retained by the one-way valve 54 so that pressure applied to theflexible wall of the container can only cause material M to bedischarged. Conversely, removal of pressure from the wall and theexpansion of the flexible wall to its original condition can only drawdisplacement fluid into the bladder 18 and not directly into thecontainer 12 because of the one-way valve 28 in the discharge orifice16. As additional material is dispensed, the bladder expands untilfinally the bladder reaches a condition of full expansion, asapproximated in FIG. 3, in which substantially all of the material M hasbeen dispensed. During expansion of the bladder 18, the fingers 40 willbe deflected outward, but nevertheless will maintain the bladder beneaththe neck portion 42 so that the bladder does not seal of the neckportion from the main body of` the container 12. As a result, materialbeneath and/or around the bladder during expansion of the bladder canalways flow between the bladder and container wall to the dischargeorifice 16.

A modified construction of a closure member 66 embodying this inventionis shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The closure member 66 includes a capportion 200 with a spout 250, one-way valve 280, and fingers 400, allidentical to corresponding portions ofthe closure member shown in FIGS.1 to 3. This construction utilizes an inverted cup 210 with an inletorifice and one-way valve 540 in a post 480, of similar construction tothe cup 21, except that a cylindrical cup body 460 of substantiallygreater length than the cup body When the bladder is collapsed, in itsinitial state, it is extended along the length of the cup body andtucked up within the body to a position adjacent the upper end thereof,as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the larger cup construction does not significantly reduce the capacity of the outer container. When the bladder 180is expanded by the introduction of displacement fluid, the bladderexpands within the container in the manner previously described.Assuming the outer container with which the closure member 66 is used issqueezed at a position laterally opposed to the cup 160, the cylindricalwall of the cup will limit the inward extent to which the container canbe squeezed and thereby limit the volume that can be dispensed for eachsqueeze of the container. The cup body 460 may be of other shapes thancylindrical and if provided with a major and a minor transverse axis, itwill facilitate the dispensing of two different predetermined volumesfor any given squeeze, depending upon the location at which thecontainer is squeezed.

It will be apparent from FIG. 4 that a quantity of airmay be trapped inthe space within the cup body 460 but outside of the bladder wall whenthe closure member l is inserted into the mouth of the container filledwith material. This would result in a substantial loss of the effectivevolume of the container and is undesirable. The entrappment of such avolume of airv can be avoided by initially introducing a quantity ofdiaplacement fluid, such as air, into the bladder, to a degreesufficient to inflate the bladder` to a position adjacent the lower edge461 of the cup body. The closure member lis then introduced into theopening of the container, and as the lower edge 461 of the cup bodycontacts the flowable materialv within the container, the inlet valve540 is mechanically opened, as by being depressed through the open endof the post 480. As the cup is lowered into the container, thehydrostatic pressure of the material within the container forces thedisplacement fluid within the bladder out through the valve 540. Oncethe cap member is secured to the container, the valve S40 is allowed toclose and the device is in condition for use.

A further embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 5 andillustrates the manner in which a closure member 70, of generallysimilar construction to the closure member 66 of FIG. 4, can be used toform the upper part of a flexible and resilient tube 7l. As shown, theclosure member 70 includes a cap portion 72, an inverted cup 73, whichas shown is elongated similar to the cup 210 of FIG. 4, but couldalternatively be a shorter cup such as the cup 21 of FIGS. 1 to 3. Aflexible bladder 74 is secured to the inverted cup 73 and tucked intothe cup body. The cap portion 72 includes a top surface 75, a dependingperipheral flange 76, typically cylindrical and without any threads, aspout 77 providing a central orifice 78, and two apertures 79, 80 onopposite sides of' the spout. A one-way valve 82 is provided in thespout 77, an inlet orifice 83 with a one-way valve 84 opens into the cup73 and communicates through the aperture 79 of the cap portion, similarto the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. The peripheral flange 76 is heatsealed to one end of the tube 7l, which is flexible and resilient.Typically, the opposite end of the tube is left open until afterfilling. The device is filled through the open end, which is thereafterfolded and/or crimped and sealed, as at 86. Because the inner surface ofthe tube 71 is substantially smooth and uniform in diameter adjacent thecap portion 72, there is little or no neck portion and thus little or notendency of the bladder to form a seal with a part of the container.Accordingly, finger members such as the fingers 40 of the embodiment ofFIGS. l to 3 or the fingers 400 in the embodiment of FIG. 4 can beomitted, as in the embodiment shown. Apart from preventing seal-off ofthe discharge orifice by the bladder, the fingers find use in providingchannels between the wall and bladder for the flow of material and tothat extent may be desired even in embodiments such as that of FlG. 5.For this purpose it is contemplated that fingers substantially longerthan those shown in FIGS. l to 4 may be provided.

A modified construction of a cup similar to the cup 2l is shown in FIG.6. The cup 90 has a cup body 92 and is identical to the cup 21 and cupbody 46 except that the cup body 92 tenninates in an outwardly extendingradial flange 94. The flange 94 is provided to facilitate heat sealingthe open end of a bladder 96 to the cup body. To this end, the bladder96 is formed with an inwardly directed flange portion 97 and a circularaperture 98 of approximately the same size as the cup body 92. The cup90 can be inserted through the aperture by stretching the bladder if itis elastic or by inserting the cup through an open and subsequentlysealed opposite end of the bladder, which may be a tubular member formedwith the flange 97 at one end. After the cup is inserted, the bladderflange 97 is sealed to the radial flange 94, as by application of heatand pressure where the bladder is of a plastic material suitable forheat sealing. Alternatively, or in addition, an adhesive or otherbonding agent can be applied. ln an alternative construction, the end ofthe bladder to be sealed to the cup 90 is merely of the general tubularshape of the entire bladder and is folded inward over the cup ange 94,gathered to the extent necessary about the cup body 92, and heat sealedto the flange.

Another cup member 100 with a modified cup body 101 is shown in FIG. 7,which utilizes a snap ring type construction to attach a bladder 102 andat the same time provide flexible fingers 104 to restrain the upperportion of the bladder during expansion. The cup member 100 issubstantially the same as the cup 90 of FIG. 6, except that a radialflange 106 at the lower end of the cup body 101 extends inwardly ratherthan outwardly. A ring 108 with an outside diameter substantially equalto the inside diameter of the cup body 101 is provided with acircumferential groove 109 adapted to receive the radialflange 106. Anopen end 110 of the bladder 102 is placed in an inverted position andsurrounded by the radial flange 106, with the remainder of the bladdercompressed into the cup body. The ring 108 is then inserted upwardinside the radial flange'106 and open end of the bladder to clamp theopen end between the ring and the flange. The bladder expands downwardduring use, through the ring and radially outward, .within the containerwith which the device is used, in the same manner as previouslydescribed. The fingers 104 extend downward from the ring 108 atperipherally spaced locations to'restrain the upper portion of thebladder during its expansion, for the purposes already described inconnection with the other embodiments. In this instance, the fingers aremore centrally located than in the previous embodiments and thereforemust be sufficiently flexible so that the bladder can expand radially tosubstantially the full width of the container, even at a position veryclose to the ring itself, At the same time, the fingers limit upwardmovement of the bladder as it expands.

A different construction of a closure member embodying the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 8, constructed to facilitate the convenientassembly of a cap member 116 and bladder 118 and to minimize the numberof separate parts. To this end, the cap member 116 is formed of anintegral top surface 120, an internally threaded flange 121, a centralinternally directed spout 122, an off-center outwardly directeddischarge spout 123, one-way discharge valve structure 124 anddepending, peripherally spaced, flexible fingers 125.

To facilitate the forming of an integral valve structure 124 with thespout 123, the spout is of uniform diameter. Helical strips 127 extenddownward from the inside of the top surface about the lower end of thedischarge spout 123 and are directly connected to the lower end of avalve stem 128 that extends upward through the spout 123. The upper partof the valve stem is hollow and, as initially formed, does not have avalve head. During manufacture the stem is biased upward above the upperend of the discharge spout 123 and is then flared in an operationseparate from the original molding operation, to form a valve head 129that will seat on a valve seat 130 at the outer end of the dischargespout. Because the valve stem was biased upward and flared, the helicalstrips 127 urge the stem downward and maintain the formed valve head inseated relationship with the valve seat 130 in normal condition.

The central inwardly directed spout 122 is formed with external threads132, a downwardly directed valve seat 133 and an internal shoulder 134facing upward or outward. A valve stem, head and helical spring assembly135 of the type described in detail in connection with FIG. 1 isprovided in the spout 122 and serves as a check valve to prevent theoutflow of displacement fluid therethrough.

The bladder 118 includes a relatively stiff molded top portion 136 and aflexible body portion 137 that is initially collapsed and folded orcompressed to a location adjacent the molded top portion of the bladder,for convenience in applying the closure member to a flexible andresilient container. The molded top portion 136 of the bladder includesa radial or disk-like portion 138, with a central neck 139 that hasinternal threads 140 that receive and mate with the external threads 132of the inwardly directed spout 122.

This embodiment is readily assembled by merely inserting the valve 135into the central spout and threading the bladder 118 to the spout.Depending upon the shape and construction of the flexible and resilientcontainer with which the closure member 115 is adapted to be used, theflexible fingers 125 may be more or less advantageous. For example, ifthere is no neck portion or shoulder against which the flexible portionof the bladder might seat, the fingers can be omitted. Also, the moldeddisk-like portion 138 of the bladder is intended to restrain the bladderfrom distorting to an upper portion where it would cut off flow to thedischarge spout 123.

ln the various embodiments disclosed, it is contemplated that thebladder can be constructed of a stretchable material, rather than beinginitially formed of full size, collapsed and tucked into a cup member.Various finger constructions or equivalents are contemplated, which willrestrain the bladder to a position beneath the discharge orifice, yetwhich will flex to a position adjacent the side walls of the container,so that they do not prevent essentially full expansion of the bladderand displacement of the contents being dispensed. For example, a grillwork or cross fingers could be provided to form a basket-like a`air torestrain the upper portion of the bladder. Alternatively, the bladderitself can be somewhat preformed in the upper portion, for example, itcan embody radial pleats that provide some rigidity and preshape to theupper portion of the bladder that will inhibit distortion of the bladderto a position that would cut off flow to the discharge orifice. It willbe apparent that the cup that contains the collapsed bladder forms apart of the bladder or displacement chamber. One advantage of this isthat the cup can be intricately formed of a size suitable for many sizesof containers and a bladder of appropriate size and shape can then besecured thereto. ln addition, the top surface of the cup prevents thebladder from expanding upward. Nevertheless, other constructions arecontemplated in which the bladder is connected directly to an inletorifice and may be received within a tubular or cage-like affair thatdepends from the cap member and serves only to contain the bladder inits collapsed state to facilitate insertion of the bladder into acontainer.

From the foregoing specification it will be appreciated that a closuremember has been provided that converts a conventional flexible andresilient container to a squeeze-type dispenser that is in a sensealways full and in which the material to be dispensed is containeddirectly in the container. This latter feature not only results insuperior operation but also permits the use of the improved closuremember with containers that can be filled and processed in theconventional manner and which are then merely capped with the closuremember of the present invention.

msm

While in the foregoing disclosure certain preferred embodiments of theinvention have been disclosed, numerous modifications or alterations maybe made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention, as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A closure member for use with a flexible, resilient container, saidmember comprising: a cover part adapted to close an opening of aflexible, resilient container, said cover part having a portion forconnecting the part to a container; a flexible bladder, substantiallyempty initially, forming an expansible chamber carried by said coverpart and adapted to fit through a container opening closable by saidcover part, said bladder being connected at one end to said cover partand the remainder of the bladder being flexible and freely expansible;two orifices in said cover part, one adapted to communicate directlywith the interior of a flexible, resilient container when the closuremember is connected thereto and the other opening into said bladder,said one orifice constructed to permit outflow of material from acontainer when the closure member is connected thereto and to preventinflow of displacement fluid; and a one-way valve in said other orificethat pennits flow of displacement fluid into the expansible chamber andprevents outflow of fluid therefrom.

2. A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein said bladder isinitially in a compact, compressed condition and in` cluding means toretain the bladder in said compressed condition while empty tofacilitate insertion of the bladder into a container.

3. A closure member for use with a flexible, resilient container, saidmember comprising: a cover part adapted to close an opening of aflexible, resilient container, said cover part having a portion forconnecting the part to a container; a flexible bladder, substantiallyempty initially, forming an expansible chamber, carried by said coverpart and adapted to fit through a container opening closable by saidcover part; two orifices in said cover part, one adapted to communicatedirectly with the interior of a flexible, resilient, container when theclosure member is connected thereto and the other opening into saidbladder, said one orifice constructed to permit outflow of material froma container when the closure member is connected thereto and to preventinflow of displacement fluid; a one-way valve in said other orifice thatpermits flow of displacement fluid into the expansible chamber andprevents outflow of fluid therefrom; and means carried by said coverpart to constrain a portion of the bladder that is adjacent the coverpart against expansion to an extent that, or movement to a locationwhere, it obstructs passage of material about the bladder to the saidone orifice during use.

4. A closure member as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means toconstrain a portion of the bladder includes a plurality of flexiblefingers fixed to said cover part, peripherally spaced about the bladder,and extending from the cover part at locations and in a direction toenter a container opening closable by said cover part.

5. A closure member as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means toconstrain a portion of the bladder is a rigid top portion to thebladder, located beneath the said one orifice, to provide a definitepassageway between the top portion of the bladder and said one orifice.

6. A closure member for use with a flexible, resilient container, saidmember comprising: a cover part adapted to close an opening of aflexible, resilient container, said cover part having a portion forconnecting the part to such a container; first and second orifices insaid cover part, said first orifice constructed to communicate directlywith the interior of a flexible, resilient container when the closuremember is connected thereto and to permit outflow of material from thecontainer and to prevent inflow of displacement fluid; a cuplike membersecured to said cover part, located with respect thereto to fit througha container opening closable by said cover part, said cuplike memberopening in a direction away from said cover part; a passageway betweensaid cuplike member and cover part opening through said second orifice;a flexible bladder, substantially empty initially, forming an expansiblechamber, secured to said cuplike member, the interior of the bladdercommunicating with the interior of the cuplike member, the bladder beingsealed about and substantially contained within the cuplike member whensaid bladder is initially empty; and a one-way valve controlling flowthrough said passageway between said cuplike member and said cover part,said valve arranged to permit flow from outside of the bladder throughsaid first orifice and passageway into the cuplike member and bladderand to prevent outflow therefrom.

7. A closure member as set forth in claim 6 wherein said cuplike memberextends in a direction away from said cover part a distance sufficientto mechanically restrict inward flexing of a substantial portion of acontainer to which the closure member is adapted to be attached.

8. A closure member for use with a flexible, resilient container, saidmember comprising: a cover part adapted to close an opening of aflexible, resilient, container, said cover part having a portion forconnecting the part to such a container; first and second orifices insaid cover part, said rst orifice constructed to communicate directlywith the interior of a flexible, resilient container when the closuremember is connected thereto; a one-way valve in said first orificearranged to permit outflow of material from a container to which theclosure member is connected and to prevent inflow of displacement fluid;a cuplike member secured to said cover part, located with respectthereto to fit through a container opening closable by said cover part,said cuplike member opening in a direction away from said cover part; apassageway between said cuplike member and cover part opening throughsaid second orifice; a flexible bladder, substantially empty initially,forming an expansble chamber, secured to said cuplike member, theinterior of the bladder communicating with the interior of the cuplikemember, the bladder being sealed about and substantially containedwithin the cuplike member when said bladder is initially empty; aone-way valve controlling flow through said passageway between saidcuplike member and said cover part, said valve arranged to permit flowfrom outside of the bladder through said first orifice and passagewayinto the cuplike member and bladder and to prevent outflow therefrom;and means forming a part of said closure member to constrain a portionof the bladder that is adjacent the cover part against expansion to anextent that, or movement to a location where, it obstructs passage ofmaterial about the bladder to the said one orifice during use.

9. In combination, a flexible, resilient container adapted to directlycontain material to be dispensed, a flexible bladder within thecontainer forming an expansble chamber, a first opening in the containerproviding a passage to the bladder, a one-way valve in said passage thatpermits flow of fluid into the bladder and that prevents outflow, asecond opening in the container communicating with a zone within thecontainer external to the bladder, constructed to permit outflow ofmaterial from the container when the container is squeezed and toprevent inflow of displacement material, and a relatively rigid tubularmember extending from one end of the container and open at the extendingend, adapted to receive a portion of the bladder when the bladder iscollapsed and which limits the extent to which the flexible containercari be flexed inwardly.

10. ln combination, a flexible, resilient container with a singleopening and adopted to directly contain material to be dispensed, aclosure member secured to said container, said closure member having acover part that receives and closes the container opening, said coverpart including a threaded portion connecting the member to thecontainer; a flexible bladder secured to the cover part, forming anexpansble chamber, and adapted to fit through the container opening,said bladder being initially in an empty, compact or compressedcondition and expansble to substantially fill the container; means totemporarily retain the bladder in said corn- Eressed condition, whileempty, to facilitate insertion o f the ladder into the container duringassembly, said bladder in its compressed condition being located beyondsaid closure member cover part and entirely within said container; twoorifices in said cover part, one communicating directly with theinterior of the container and the other opening into said bladder, saidone orifice constructed to permit outflow of material from the containerwhen the container is squeezed and its volume reduced and to preventinflow of displacement fluid when the container returns to its originalvolume; and a one-way valve in said other orifice that permits flow ofdisplacement fluid into the expansble chamber when the container returnsto its original volume after being squeezed and that prevents outflow offluid therefrom when the container is squeezed to dispense material.

it it llt ik

1. A closure member for use with a flexible, resilient container, saidmember comprising: a cover part adapted to close an opening of aflexible, resilient container, said cover part having a portion forconnecting the part to a container; a flexible bladder, substantiallyempty initially, forming an expansible chamber carried by said coverpart and adapted to fit through a container opening closable by saidcover part, said bladder being connected at one end to said cover partand the remainder of the bladder being flexible and freely expansible;two orifices in said cover part, one adapted to communicate directlywith the interior of a flexible, resilient container when the closuremember is connected thereto and the other opening into said bladder,said one orifice constructed to permit outflow of material from acontainer when the closure member is connected thereto and to preventinflow of displacement fluid; and a one-way valve in said other orificethat permits flow of displacement fluid into the expansible chamber andprevents outflow of fluid therefrom.
 2. A closure member as defined inclaim 1 wherein said bladder is initially in a compact, compressedcondition and including means to retain the bladder in said compressedcondition while empty to facilitate insertion of the bladder into acontainer.
 3. A closure member for use with a flexible, resilientcontainer, said member comprising: a cover part adapted to close anopening of a flexible, resilient container, said cover part having aportion for connecting the part to a container; a flexible bladder,substantially empty initially, forming an expansible chamber, carried bysaid cover part and adapted to fit through a container opening closableby said cover part; two orifices in said cover part, one adapted tocommunicate directly with the interior of a flexible, resilient,container when the closure member is connected thereto and the otheropening into said bladder, said one orifice constructed to permitoutflow of material from a container when the closure member isconnected thereto and to prevent inflow of displacement fluid; a one-wayvalve in said other orifice that permits flow of displacement fluid intothe expansible chamber and prevents outflow of fluid therefrom; andmeans carried by said cover part to constrain a portion of the bladderthat is adjacent the cover part against expansion to an extent that, ormovement to a location where, it obstructs passage of material about thebladder to the said one orifice during use.
 4. A closure member as setforth in claim 3 wherein said means to constrain a portion of thebladder includes a plurality of flexible fingers fixed to said coverpart, peripherally spaced about the bladder, and extending from thecover part at locations and in a direction to enter a container openingclosable by said cover part.
 5. A closure member as set forth in claim 3wherein said means to constrain a portion of the bladder is a rigid topportion to the bladder, located beneath the said one orifice, to providea definite passageway between the top portion of the bladder and saidone orifice.
 6. A closure member for use with a flexible, resilientcontainer, said member comprising: a cover part adapted to close anopening of a flexible, resilient container, said cover part having aportion for connecting the part to such a container; first and secondorifices in said cover part, said first orifice constructed tocommunicate directly with the interior of a flexible, resilientcontainer when the closure member is connected thereto and to permitoutflow of material from the container and to prevent inflow ofdisplacement fluid; a cuplike member secured to said cover part, locatedwith respect thereto to fit through a container opening closable by saidcover part, said cuplike member opening in a direction away from saidcover part; a passageway between said cuplike member and cover partopening through said second orifice; a flexible bladder, substantiallyempty initially, forming an expansible chamber, secured to said cuplikemember, the interior of the bladder communicating with the interior ofthe cuplike member, the bladder being sealed about and substantiallycontained within the cuplike member when said bladder is initiallyempty; and a one-way valve controlling flow through said passagewaybetween said cuplike member and said cover part, said valve arranged topermit flow from outside of the bladder through said first orifice andpassageway into the cuplike member and bladder and to prevent outflowtherefrom.
 7. A closure member as set forth in claim 6 wherein saidcuplike member extends in a direction away from said cover part adistance sufficient to mechanically restrict inward flexing of asubstantial portion of a container to which the closure member isadapted to be attached.
 8. A closure member for use with a flexible,resilient container, said member comprising: a cover part adapted toclose an opening of a flexible, resilient, container, said cover parthaving a portion for connecting the part to such a container; first andsecond orifices in said cover part, said first orifice constructed tocommunicate directly with the interior of a flexible, resilientcontainer when the closure member is connected thereto; a one-way valvein said first orifice arranged to permit outflow of material from acontainer to which the closure member is connected and to prevent inflowof displacement fluid; a cuplike member secured to said cover part,located with respect thereto to fit through a container opening closableby said cover part, said cuplike member opening in a direction away fromsaid cover part; a passageway between said cuplike member and cover partopening through said second orifice; a flexible bladder, substantiallyempty initially, forming an expansible chamber, secured to said cuplikemember, the interior of the bladder communicating with the interior ofthe cuplike member, the bladder being sealed about and substantiallycontained within the cuplike member when said bladder is initiallyempty; a one-way valve controlling flow through said passageway betweensaid cuplike member and said cover part, said valve arranged to permitflow from outside of the bladder through said first orifice andpassageway into the cuplike member and bladder and to prevent outflowtherefrom; and means forming a part of said closure member to constraina portion of the bladder that is adjacent the cover part againstexpansion to an extent that, or movement to a location where, itobstructs passage of material about the bladder to the said one orificeduring use.
 9. In combination, a flexible, resilient container adaptedto directly contain material to be dispensed, a flexible bladder withinthe container forming an expansible chamber, a first opening in thecontainer providing a passage to the bladder, a one-way valve in saidpassage that permits flow of fluid into the bladder and that preventsoutflow, a second opening in the container communicating with a zonewithin the container external to the bladder, constructed to permitoutflow of material from the container when the container is squeezedand to prevent inflow of displacement material, and a relatively rigidtubular member extending from one end of the container and open at theextending end, adapted to receive a portion of the bladder when thebladder is collapsed and which limits the extent to which the flexiblecontainer can be flexed inwardly.
 10. In combination, a flexible,resilient container with a single opening and adopted to directlycontain material to be dispensed, a closure member secured to saidcontainer, said closure member having a cover part that receives andcloses the container opening, said cover part including a threadedportion connecting the member to the container; a flexible bladdersecured to the cover part, forming an expansible chamber, and adapted tofit Through the container opening, said bladder being initially in anempty, compact or compressed condition and expansible to substantiallyfill the container; means to temporarily retain the bladder in saidcompressed condition, while empty, to facilitate insertion of thebladder into the container during assembly, said bladder in itscompressed condition being located beyond said closure member cover partand entirely within said container; two orifices in said cover part, onecommunicating directly with the interior of the container and the otheropening into said bladder, said one orifice constructed to permitoutflow of material from the container when the container is squeezedand its volume reduced and to prevent inflow of displacement fluid whenthe container returns to its original volume; and a one-way valve insaid other orifice that permits flow of displacement fluid into theexpansible chamber when the container returns to its original volumeafter being squeezed and that prevents outflow of fluid therefrom whenthe container is squeezed to dispense material.